A 50-year-old Indian-origin motel manager was brutally beheaded in front of his wife and son in a attack at a Dallas motel on Wednesday morning.
Chandramouli Nagamallaiah, originally from Karnataka, was killed following an argument over a broken washing machine with co-worker Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, 37, who has since been arrested and charged with capital murder.
Cobos-Martinez reportedly became enraged when Nagamallaiah asked another person to translate his instructions instead of addressing him directly, PTI reported. The argument quickly escalated, with Cobos-Martinez allegedly stabbing Nagamallaiah multiple times before chasing him toward the motel’s front office.
Witnesses, including Nagamallaiah’s wife and son, watched helplessly as Cobos-Martinez beheaded him, kicked his head into the parking lot, and placed it in a dumpster.
The Cuban national, who has a prior criminal history including arrests for auto theft and assault in Houston, has been charged with capital murder and is currently lodged at Dallas County Jail.
The records also show an immigration hold. ICE officials said Cobos-Martine was released under supervision earlier this year due to the lack of deportation flights to Cuba.
The Indian High Commission in Houston condoled the tragic death of Nagamallaiah. “We are in touch with the family and offering all possible assistance. The accused is in the custody of the Dallas Police. We are following up on the matter closely,” the embassy said in a statement on X.
(With inputs from PTI)